MicroRNA Regulation Of Sex Determination And Gonad Development.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$518,076.00
Summary
Sex determination, the decision to develop into either boy or girl, influences most aspects of our lives. Consequently, disorders of sexual development (~1% of births), resulting in genital abnormalities, infertility and often cancer, are extremely traumatic for the individual. The molecular basis of these disorders is not well understood. This project will identify new factors important for sex determination and therefore will improve diagnosis and clinical care for the patients.
Chromatin Dynamics During Sexual Differentiation In The Malaria Parasite P. Falciparum
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$535,858.00
Summary
Inhibiting malaria transmission is a critical step towards global eradication of this deadly disease. This proposal aims to understand the mechanisms regulating the expression of genes which control the differentiation of the transmission stages of malaria parasites. Such pathways are prime targets for novel anti-malarial drugs.
Disorders of sexual development are amongst the most common birth defects in humans. These conditions have profound consequences for the physical and psychological health of affected individuals. The incidence of these disorders is on the rise, and this has been linked to our increased exposure to chemicals in the environment that affect how our hormones function. This project will investigate how these chemicals affect hormonal pathways that control early development.
Hypospadias is one of the most common developmental defects in humans, yet over two thirds of the cases cannot be explained. Our recent studies using marsupials show that this process is mediated by 5-alpha-androstanediol, a hormone with previously undetermined physiological function. This study will provide novel data on the interactions of the genes and hormones that will inform our understanding of this common developmental defect of male development
Identification And Analysis Of Novel Genes And Regulatory Regions Associated With Disorders Of Sex Development
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
Children born with a disorder of sex development (DSD) may differ from typical males or females in their chromosomes, hormones or reproductive organs, sometimes resulting in infertility or gonadal cancer. DSDs are the most common birth defect and yet, most cases are unexplained genetically. I hope to identify new genes needed for gonad formation that cause DSD when mutated. This work will provide answers as to how DSDs arise, and allow informed decision-making regarding possible treatments.
Disorders of sexual development are among the most common form of birth defects in humans (1 in 4,000 births) because failure of the gonads to develop does not affect the viability of the individual. Such disorders can have profound psychological and medical consequences upon the individual, family, and society. Some intersexual conditions are the result of inappropriate exposure to hormones during fetal life, and others are due to spontaneous or inherited gene mutation. About 5-10% of ovarian c ....Disorders of sexual development are among the most common form of birth defects in humans (1 in 4,000 births) because failure of the gonads to develop does not affect the viability of the individual. Such disorders can have profound psychological and medical consequences upon the individual, family, and society. Some intersexual conditions are the result of inappropriate exposure to hormones during fetal life, and others are due to spontaneous or inherited gene mutation. About 5-10% of ovarian cancer cases, that affect 1 in 8000 Australian women, are due to the inheritance of a faulty gene. An understanding of the way gene expression and hence tissue differentiation is altered after sex reversal will inform us about the causes and consequences of normal and abnormal sexual development, gonadal malignancies and infertility. The gonad is unusual in that two completely different organs can arise from an essentially identical primordium, so that errors in development lead to intersexual phenotypes. We will use our new experimental animal model to clarify these processes.Read moreRead less
Much of our current knowledge on development of external genitalia (ExG), the penis and clitoris, comes from 20 &70 year-old studies (1); but with significant developments in contemporary imaging and new mouse models, we have new data. The overall goal of this project is to prove the hypothesis that penile and clitoral development is estrogen- (and androgen-) dependent and, to show that the administration of exogenous endocrine disrupting chemicals that alter the balance between estrogen and and ....Much of our current knowledge on development of external genitalia (ExG), the penis and clitoris, comes from 20 &70 year-old studies (1); but with significant developments in contemporary imaging and new mouse models, we have new data. The overall goal of this project is to prove the hypothesis that penile and clitoral development is estrogen- (and androgen-) dependent and, to show that the administration of exogenous endocrine disrupting chemicals that alter the balance between estrogen and androgen will disrupt ExG development.Read moreRead less
Nodal Signalling In Male Germ Cell Development: Balancing Fertility And Testicular Cancer Susceptibility
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$536,595.00
Summary
Testicular cancer is the most common type of cancer in men aged 20-40 years, and its incidence has doubled in the last 30 years. It is sometimes fetal and often results in infertility. We have discovered new genes that regulate testicular cell behaviour in the developing fetus, and here test the concept that defects in these genes might disrupt cell behaviour to the point where cancers form during adult life. Outcomes may lead to new ways to diagnose and treat testicular cancers.